Letter: Memories of the Old Fox Theatre

Regarding the embellishment at the Seventh Avenue entrance to Symphony Hall: I really like the idea, especially the bolder color. My preference would be the treble clef — how many non-music people will recognize the bass clef?

From the rendering, it appears the base of the clef will be supported by the street, just past the curb. I can see a treble clef would need a bit more space along the curb and would be more complicated to cut from sheet metal. Of course, it all will depend on the city’s building codes: required setbacks, and so forth.

You asked about visiting the old Fox Theatre. One thing good about getting old is you have a lot of history to remember (that is, if you can remember). My first visit to the Fox Theatre was just before World War II. You entered past the marquee, past the ticket booth, through the outer lobby. This area aligns with the current internal doors where present tickets are taken. The space at Seventh Avenue and B Street, where the current Symphony internal lobby with ticket windows is, was a store that sold snack items and candy. At the rear of the main floor were the “loge seats” that cost more. They were leather, very over-stuffed and reclined. Lay-Z-Boy would be put to shame.

At Eighth Avenue and B Street was Montgomery Ward, a basement and five or six floors. I talked to my first Santa there. He gave me a book with Rudolph the Red-Nosed-Reindeer — a story that MW originated. Up the hill on Seventh, on past the current Symphony entrance, was the Fox garage. It seemed always filled with dusty, never-moving cars, but what does a little kid know? Across B Street was a Thrifty Drug store.

Ruth Hayward lives in La Jolla.